National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad yesterday questioned the credibility of the chairman of a Commission of Inquiry into the conduct, operations and performance of the Office of the Auditor-General.
He made the statement in Parliament while defending the OAG, after it came under heavy attack from at least two Government ministers.
He said the Auditor-General only reports to Parliament through the Speaker – not to Attorney-General, Economy Minister, or former University of the South Pacific Pro-Chancellor Winston Thompson, who heads the inquiry into the OAG.
“The credentials of the chairman of the inquiry is highly questionable,” he said.
“His role in the biggest financial scandal in our history – at least that’s what the Economy Minister calls it – the National Bank of Fiji collapse – is never mentioned at all by the Government announcement of the Inquiry. Why?
“It suits the Economy Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s devious agenda to lay the blame squarely on the shoulders of the then Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. Yesterday, he referred to Mr Rabuka as the Pied Piper.
“The Acting Prime Minister is obviously frightened that the former PM and former leader of the Opposition have become a formidable political opponent by attracting a large chunk of support away from FijiFirst.
“Make no mistake, their fear is genuine and will become a reality after voters give their verdict. Because we now see the Attorney-General and most of his silent 25, aided with equally silent replacements, who are scattering away like the bullets that honourable Faiyaz Koya remarked about yesterday, failing to hit the target because they are shooting blanks.
“A good example of shooting blanks is not giving the full credentials of the chairman of the Commission of Inquiry into the Office of the Auditor-General. The chairman, as we all know, is Winston Thomson. Prof Prasad questioned Mr Sayed-Khaiyum on why he was silent on Mr Thompson’s role in the National Bank of Fiji saga.
“To the then PM Rabuka’s credit, his government revamped the board after discovery of the mess.
“Thompson said in an interview with the Review Magazine in August 1995 that big loans were justified for the sake of the economy.
“So it means he, as board chair knew about the loan portfolios.
He described these loans, that drained and eventually killed NBF, as normal banking practices. “But now he is trying to audit the role of the Auditor-General. What a shame.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum interrupted, stood on a Point of Order, and said Prof Prasad was using the platform to slander the Chair of the Commission of inquiry.
The Speaker told Prof Prasad to stick to the details of the report being debated. In his right of reply, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the permanent secretary for the Ministry of Economy and his team had highlighted huge issues with the Auditor-General.
He said according to the team, there have been major delays in the finalisation of audit reports of government agencies.
